Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Quicky Review - SPOILERS

Planet of the Apes has been a formula that almost every child in the last 40-50 years has experienced through its multiple variations and TV appearances. The most recent version (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) was such a success, it warranted a sequel to detail the aftermath of the uprising and virus. With the release of the trailer, it was obvious that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was going to be a fantastic movie. Removing James Franco from the picture just made it that much better.

If you missed out on the Rise of the Planet of the Apes, please educate yourself on the wonderful movie. Since the events of Rise, humanity has all but dwindled. Cities have become overgrown, shells of cars litter the road all because of the deadly disease created by those who tested on the very apes that rebelled and escaped. In this time, we begin by following the apes on a hunting expedition for food. Witnessing the brutal efficiency of the group as they leap from tree to tree and lead an assault on a herd of deer with wooden weaponry and pure strength and agility was amazing to see. Following their conversations, it appears that humans haven't been seen by the colony of apes in almost 5 years. Only days later do they find out this is not true with the arrival of a small team on their way to a dam to help power their encampment within the city. Without ruining much, the colonies must learn to stay away from each others territory but the humans need for power leads to an uneasy alliance which brews hatred from both sides that eventually boils over.

The story is strong, no doubt about it. What makes it better is the character development. With it not being reserved for just the main characters, other members get some great character development. The best is for the apes. You can find yourself connecting with them a lot more. Maurice is an amazing character that really is only an extra in many shots but he becomes a very loveable creature. With the reduced emotional display (compared to humans), the apes convey the emotions a lot better thus making them more appealing. The only problem I did have with this was that a fair few scenes were cut from the movie. Interactions that would have only strengthened the bonds and give a little more context to certain moments. For instance, the lead Malcolm (Jason Clarke) somehow finds out Caeser's name yet we missed quite a vital point of trust between these two characters.

I praised Transformers 4 on its excellent CGI work. However, it did feel like it was stuck onto the screen. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was stunning. At parts you couldn't even tell if the horses were real or not. Caeser can only be described as real. With Andy Serkis acting as him, the movement was fluid and lifelike. The acting in general was very good. Although my opinion of Gary Oldman has swayed in recent months, his acting was solid and with the rest of the main cast interacting with baby apes that are probably not there but with actors decked out in Lycra, with little bobbles is probably one hell of a funny sight to see.

Wrapping up, the movie is a masterpiece. Stepping away from the Sci-fi aspect, Dawn becomes more of a thriller and can be really tense, exhilarating and touching in a matter of minutes. Removing scenes was a shame but I hope the DVD will include a directors cut that will feature it and really prolong the life of this movie and give me more from a movie that I really love. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes deserves a 9/10. I would be back at the cinema watching it again if I could!